The Indian American Experience Podcast
In our country, Indian Americans are a group that defies being painted in one stroke, be it in political/ideological leanings, definition of identity, or perception of their place in society. So, why not then hear directly from a diverse group of Indian-Americans, or desis, their experience, through light-hearted, casual conversations, and see if we can find common threads, maybe shed some myths, and hear some interesting stories!
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The Indian American Experience Podcast
29: Puja Shah - An Author with Beautiful Strength and Thoughtful Intelligence
My guest Puja Shah, one of my younger guests, may also be one of the most articulate and thoughtful. Maybe it comes from her long journey being deeply creative, or maybe it comes from an equally long journey straddling the duality of her cultural identity, or both, but it surely makes her a sensitive, responsible and outstanding member of the Indian American community.
The experience of being first generation with immigrant parents was tricky and challenging, and Puja found her outlet in poetry and the spoken word from a young age. She trained to be a dentist, but deep-seated creativity found her and brought her back to the path of writing, one of the results of which is her first book ‘For My Sister’. Puja beautifully explains how her time spent immersed in yoga and meditation helped her close the distance between her medical training and her creative pursuits.
Puja eloquently explains her experience of the duality of cultures and how she tackled it and did it justice as an Indian American woman, author, mother, wife and daughter. Talking about her writing and the importance of her book’s theme and setting (in India), she stresses the importance of “own voice” fiction in connecting with and understanding the message of a piece of writing, for example, embodying the expression ‘burying her face into her mom’s sari’.
She also brings out the very important point of being critical of the not-so-palatable or the darker aspects of the Indian culture that she has encountered and learnt about and she explains with earnestness how that is something for an Indian or anyone who has inherited their culture to recognize and try to address as well as the more obvious pride-worthy aspects of it, even if they are not unique to one culture. Some issues she feels strongly about are trafficking, child marriage and colorism. And she recognizes that the solutions can start with simply having meaningful conversations as a community and not brushing matters under the rug with the assumption that ‘this is just how it is’. And these sentiments pervade over and have seeped into the origins of her novel. Puja also shares her aspirations for her book and allows us a taste of the theme of her second book. Sharing stories that come from the heart and touch everyone in their own personal way, to her, is the true legacy of creative work.
More about Puja Shah and her work:
For My Sister: Shah, Puja: https://www.amazon.com/My-Sister-Puja-Shah/dp/1646637968?nodl=1&dplnkId=cb5aad22-2f53-4d08-943d-765c5cf729b7
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indianamericanexperience